June 20, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by SDN Communications.

SDN Communications and its 17 member companies are excited to announce the launch of a free esports event designed to bring together gamers of all levels and ages.

The inaugural edition of the SoDak Circuit will be Sept. 21 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

Cash prizes will be awarded in the games “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” “Valorant,” “Fortnite” and “Rocket League” as well as a custom racing simulator. Pre-registration is required and and is open now at sodakcircuit.com.

SoDak Circuit will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21, with doors opening at 7:30 a.m. and check-in at 8:30 a.m. There will be seating available for people to watch the matches, which will be shown on large screens. SoDak Circuit will have tournament-style brackets for different age groups and a variety of skill levels.

The event coincides with the South Dakota High School Activities Association adding esports as a sanctioned activity during the 2024-25 school year. In 2023-24, 20 schools across the state participated in the pilot season, with eight of SDN’s 17 member companies sponsoring teams in their service areas.

For SDN’s member companies, hosting an esports event is the perfect way to highlight the power of their combined 50,000-plus miles of high-speed fiber-optic connectivity across the region, covering more than 80 percent of the state’s geography. It also serves as a workforce recruitment tool to get kids and adults interested in the technical careers within the telecommunications industry.

“SDN Communications and its member companies are proud to support esports and host events that showcase the power of our robust fiber networks,” said Ryan Dutton, SDN’s vice president of sales and marketing. “By investing in esports, we not only highlight our advanced technological capabilities but also attract a skilled workforce that values teamwork, collaboration, communication and innovation.”

Anyone with questions about the SoDak Circuit can contact marketing manager Hannah Boquet at hannah.boquet@sdncommunications.com or 605-978-1085.